The Midshipmans girl
by wickedgrace
Summary: Three very different girls. One trip to annapolis marlyland for photography. Three trouble midshipmen. When these six meet how will their life change Full summary inside OCC/AH/ Cannon
1. Chapter 1

AN: If you were reading my story the cadet, this one is the re-write. I didn't like the way it was heading so I complelty scrapped it but kept the same premise ( girls sees miltary boy ans swoons. Boy sees girl and becomes lovestruck) but in a different setting and a little more grown up in the problems that they all face.

Per Usual: The Story is mine but the charcters are not. SM owns them

* * *

The Midshipman's Girl

Summary: When put in a group on a photography class project, three very different girls come to realize there's more to life than themselves after heading to Annapolis Maryland, home of the United States Naval Academy. When these girls bump into three midshipmen, each of whom have question why they are attending the academy, it comes to affect them all.

All Human OCC Cannon Pairings

Terms:

Midshipman refers to an officer cadet at USNA

_OUR NAVY MEN  
It takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
A woman who can smile through her tears.  
Stay true through to OUR NAVY MEN  
It takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
A woman who can smile through her tears.  
Stay true through the long and lonely years.  
Who can love deep and true in spite of all her fears.  
It takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
A woman who can stand to be alone.  
When little things go wrong she must not wail or moan.  
She must be strong as the deeply buried stone.  
It takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
A woman who can be trusted to take a special care.  
When searching eyes pull to port, she must be waiting there.  
With open arms she should unite to make the perfect pair.  
It takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
For it takes a special man to dedicate his life to others.  
To keep safe our friends, sisters, brothers, fathers and our mothers.  
To do the things he knows he must instead of what he'd rather.  
It takes a special kind of man to sail away from home.  
To go far out to sea, to wander and to roam.  
To sail along above and below the ocean's frothing foam.  
It takes a special kind of man to stand and to be proud.  
Even when surrounded by an angry hateful crowd.  
To do his job beneath that dark and threatening cloud.  
It takes a special kind of man to sail away to war.  
To sail home again never knowing what's in store.  
To walk off that boat or ship and still love you to the core.  
Yes it takes a special kind of woman to love our Navy men.  
Written By: Lisa D. Earls_

Prologue:

If someone were to ask me what event changed my life the most, I could answer them in a heartbeat. It was the day me and some girls from my photography class headed to Annapolis, Maryland for an assignment. That day marked the beginning of the happiest and saddest periods in my life.

I became a Midshipman's girl that day.

Some say it was fate, some say luck. I like to say it was a mere conscience that I met the one. But that day lead me to where I am now; standing at entrance to the academy's chapel, ready to marry the midshipmen I met three years ago.

Fighting the tears in my eyes, I look over to the girls who I came with. They became my best friends that day. They knew what struggles came from being a midshipmen's girl, because they were one too.

We still need to thank our professor for grouping us together. I sit there in thought as I watch them walk towards me.

"Don't cry," they say to me. As soon as the words leave their mouths, I feel a tear run down my face.

I give them a small smile as the nerves take over and the thoughts start to run wild. They were the typical wedding day thoughts. What if he can't stand this and so one and so forth?

My father, sensing my unease, lays his hand on mine.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asks

"Nothing," I lie to him. He gives me the I know your lying look and I cave.

"Daddy, it's just my nerves. I'm scared that everything between him and I will change after today, and it's starting to get to me," I give him the answer he wants. He nods as he pulls me closer.

"Baby girl, I can't lie and say everything won't change, because it will. But in the end, it just him and you, one day isn't going to change the way you feel about each other." He's right of course one day won't change a thing between us; it will only make our relationship stronger.

The wedding planner comes out.

"Only five more minutes' darling," she says to me.

I try to suppress a laugh. It was only five minutes about a half an hour ago. We waiting for his commanding officers, to him they are like family.

"Thank You," I say to her while nodding and smiling.

My friends make their way over to me. They do one last check of my hair and make-up before they take their places.

The music starts and the doors open. I watch them walk in. The doors shut again.

My father comes over to me. He gives me a kiss on both cheeks before he puts my veil down. I can see him crying. He's trying not to let me see.

"Its ok dad, I know this is a hard day for you," I reassure him as we walk towards the closed doors.

The music changes and the doors open.

At first, I can only see our family and friends. As I walk down the aisle, I see him, in his officer's uniform.

I smile.

I wouldn't be becoming the officer's wife if I wasn't the midshipman's girl.


	2. The River

AN:

Sorry, I forgot to put this up here when I posted it a few weeks ago, I hope you enjoy

I don't own it.

Chapter 1 - The River – Bella, Alice and Rosalie

_You know a dream is like a river_

_Ever changin' as it flows_

_And a dreamer's just a vessel_

_That must follow where it goes_

_Trying to learn from what's behind you_

_And never knowing what's in store_

_Makes each day a constant battle_

_Just to stay between the shores_

_Garth Brooks " The River" –_

October 2007

**Bella**

If somebody had told me eight months ago I would be sitting in classroom at Georgetown University on a full scholarship, I would've had to laugh at them. But here I am, in our nation's capital sitting in an introductory photography class. I couldn't see myself being in this class if it wasn't required for the journalism major.

But then again, I couldn't see myself being at this school either. The daughter of a small town teacher and the police chief didn't belong at this type of school. In my opinion, this was the type of school for the children of our country's "elite." However, it was my dream to be out here. I never socialized during high school, staying focused on my grades. I took the hardest classes that my high school offered. In the end, all the hard work paid off. The day my acceptance letter came was the happiest day of my life.

Flashback

It was a typical day in Forks: overcast and gloomy. I was coming home from a student council meeting, only to see my dad's cruiser in the driveway. I looked down at the clock in my dashboard, making sure I wasn't running late. When it read 3:45, I immediately began to panic. I couldn't help it. Worst case scenarios started playing in my head, ranging from a death in the family to my parents divorcing. I slowly made my way into my parking spot along the curb. Once I turned off my truck, I took a few minutes to calm down. I didn't want them to think I expecting anything was up. Taking a few deep breaths, I climbed out of my truck and headed into the house.

"Mom, I'm home," I called out to her like it was just like any other day.

"We're in the kitchen, Bella," she answered back, a little too quickly.

I shrugged off my backpack and made my way into the room.

"Dad, what are you doing home?" I asked, trying to sound surprised.

"I just wanted to be here when you read this letter, Bells." He was holding a rather large envelope in his left hand.

I smiled; it had to be a letter from Georgetown. I crossed the kitchen in three steps and yanked the envelope out of his hands.

I opened it and began to read the letter out loud.

"Dear Ms. Swan, Congratulations on your acceptance into Georgetown University." I couldn't finish reading the letter out loud, due to my mom's squeals.

"Bella, I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you! Oh my goodness, I have calls to make- your grandparents, aunts, uncles…" I tuned out the end of her little rant and continued to read.

"Uh, Mom, you might want to wait to start making those calls. I have more good news." My voice rose up almost a whole octave as I spoke.

"What is it, Bells?" She was looking around the kitchen door with the phone in her hand.

"Well, let me read it to you." I quickly scanned the letter to find that one sentence. Once I found it, I continued to read. "In addition to your acceptance, we are also pleased to offer you a full academic scholarship. "

I looked at my parents. My dad looked relived. I knew he was worried about paying for Georgetown. My mom, on the other hand, was jumping up and down.

"Isabella Swan, Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale, will you please stand up?" The sound of my name pulled me out of the happy memory.

I rolled my eyes as I sIi I Itood. I didn't know what was going on.

"You three are a group for this project. You may sit now," he stated and went on to call other names.

Hold on, what project?

* * *

**Alice **

Whoever heard of a group photography project? Photography is art and art is about expressing yourself. But, it did give me a chance to make new friends.

When my father won one of the senate seats from Mississippi last year, Mama made the whole family move to DC. I was disappointed at first. But as the year passed, I found that I loved the city. It was so different from my hometown, and I couldn't have been more grateful. However, one thing did not change with the move.

I was still a social butterfly.

I looked around the room; my partners were the complete opposite of each other. The first one was a tall blonde who had curves in all the right places. She seemed to give off the ice queen vibe. Gee, that is going to be fun to deal with.

The other looked just a little bit confused. She couldn't have been much taller than me, and that's saying something. She looked to have what my mother would call "classic beauty." I decided to make my way toward her first. She didn't notice me standing beside her. I took a good look her. It just confirmed my previous thoughts- she was classically beautiful.

"Hi, I'm Alice Brandon. I'm one of your partners for this project. " I introduced myself with a smile, just like Mama taught me to. She looked over at me and smiled weakly. Maybe she's shy.

"Nice to meet you, ,Alice. I'm Bella Swan," she replied quietly. Okay, she's very shy.

I sat there for a few seconds, dealing with the awkward silence, and then I just had to talk.

"So, Bella, do you want to tell me a little about yourself or do you want me to start?" I was trying to break down her shell. I just had a feeling that we were going to be friends after this project.

"I guess I'll go first, Alice. What do you want to know?" Shit ,,what did I want to know?

"Just the basics will be good for right now. You know, stuff like your major and where you're from." I covered my ass pretty well.

"Well, you know my name. So I'll just start with my major- it's Journalism. And I'm from a small town in Washington State. What about you?"

"Let's see, I already told you my name too. My major at this moment is business, but I'm not sure so about it. I'm originally from Mississippi, but my daddy's in politics, so we had to move up here last year. I have a younger sister, Cindy. What about you, Bella, any siblings? " I rambled off my answer so fast that I could almost see her head spinning.

"Yeah, Ryan and Nate. They're older than me. " She seemed a little sad as she said the last name. I could tell that her brothers were a hard topic for her to talk about. I didn't know what to do.

"Excuse me. Are you Alice Brandon and Isabella Swan?" a voice asked from behind me.

I've never been so happy for an interruption in my life.

* * *

**Rosalie **

"Excuse me. Are you Alice Brandon and Isabella Swan?" I was standing behind the two other students that were supposed to be in my group. At least I hoped I was standing behind them.

I just wanted to get to get this project done. I was never one to step outside the carefully crafted circle of friends I'd made since I had been at Georgetown. The circle was filled with people who had connections, something I would need after I graduated.

The best piece of advice ever given to me was from my father. That little piece of advice was to make connections through your studies. He used his to get an internship at a prestigious law firm, which shaped the rest of his career. My father, up until his retirement, was the top defense lawyer in the United States. If I wanted to be like him I had to follow in his footsteps and use my conncetions.

But this professor had ruined my carefully crafted plan by pairing me with someone outside the circle.

"Yeah, we're Alice Brandon and Bella Swan." The shorter of the two answered. She was elfin in stature and features.

Wait…Brandon… as in Senator Patrick Brandon? Maybe something good will come out of this project after all.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I'm also in your group. I'm Rosalie Hale." Iquickly introduced myself and sat down.

"Not a problem, we were just getting to know each other. You want to tell us anything about you?" the little one bubbled.

"Well, let's see. I grew up in upstate New York. I'm a political science major." The little one groaned after I spoke. It pissed me off.

"Do you have a problem with Poly Sci majors?" I snapped at her.

"No, It's just that th you're gonna want to meet Daddy." She looked disappointed, like this had happened to her before.

"Let me guess, you're Alice Brandon. And yes, I would love to meet your dad if I was into politics, but I'm planning on going into law." Still, it wouldn't hurt to meet him.

"Thank goodness. So let's talk about our project. I veto working in DC. It won't be original," Alice piped up.

"Where do you suggest, Alice?" Bella asked. Alice put her finger against her lip like she was thinking.

"I know! Annapolis is only an hour away. We can take pictures of the bay,,and the Academy is there." She started clapping.

I couldn't help but wonder what she was talking about.

"Alice, what are you talking about? " I questioned her.

"The United States Naval Academy is in Annapolis, Maryland, which is only an hour from here. It has some amazing buildings and the chapel is so beautiful."

"No, not The Academy! I'll do the bay but I refuse to go to Navy," Bella all but shouted. We needed more than pictures of the water and sailboats. I was going to have to put my foot down.

"Listen, Bella. I need an A in this class to get into Harvard Law, so if Alice says the Academy will get us great pictures, ,then I say let's go."

I looked to Alice, hoping she'd agree with me. I watched her eyes bounce between the two of us.

"Bella, unless you can give me a good reason why we shouldn't go to Navy, then I have to agree with Rosalie," Alice said

Bella looked down at her fingers.

"I'll go," she reluctantly whispered.

**Bella**

Annapolis.

Fuck.

Nate.

I had agreed to go to my own personal hell. I sat in shock, listening to the other girls make the plans for tomorrow. At least it's soon; I don't know if I could handle it being a week away.

I picked up the basics of the conversation--meet at Village C at 9:30 in the morning.

The thought of going to Annapolis made me numb. The thought going to anything relating to any branch of the military of made me numb.

Alice must have sensed something was wrong. She came and sat down beside me.

"Bella, what's going on? You're zoning out on us," she asked, concern filling her voice.

I didn't know what to tell her, so I lied.

"It's nothing. I just got caught up in my thoughts." Alice and Rosalie both nodded and shared a worried look. Fuck, I get paired with the bitches that have a bullshit detector.

"Okay, but I'm giving you my cell phone number in case you want to talk," Alice declared.

She quickly wrote down her number and handed it to me. The professor dismissed the class as she was doing this.

"Thanks, Alice, I'll see you tomorrow." I hastily picked up my things and left the room. I just wanted to break down and cry at that point.

As soon as I reached my room, the tears started to fall until I fell asleep.

The next morning I was feeling a little bit better about the trip to Annapolis. I quickly dressed in comfortable clothes: Ryan's army t-shirt, Nate's baseball hoodie, and my dark-washed jeans. I laughed at myself. Wearing an army t-shirt to Navy was the worst possible thing to do. But I loved wearing the boys' clothes. It made me feel safe.

As I was walking out the door, my cell went off. I glanced at the caller ID. It was Ryan. I couldn't get the phone open fast enough.

"Ryan, when are you going to stop playing in the sandbox and get your ass home? I miss you." My words had to have run together, it came out so fast.

"That's a nice way to say hello to your brother. And my ass will stop playing in the sandbox when the army tells it to." I could hear his fellow soldiers laughing in the background. "Anyway, Bella, I called to see how you were doing."

I took a breath before I started to answer him.

"I've been better, Ryan. I'm going to Annapolis today." I could hear him cursing to himself and an order being given in the background.

"B, I have to go now. You know I'm only an E-mail away if you need me." With that, he hung up.

I felt all my resolve leave my body when he did. Our conversation ending abruptly was not what I needed. I considered texting Alice and telling her I was sick, but I was almost to our meeting point, and I had a feeling she had already seen me. I continued my walk slowly. Once I arrived, the conversation Alice and Rosalie were having stopped.

"Bella, are you okay?" Rosalie asked this time. I'd never had strangers pay this much attention to me before.

"I'm just a little upset. My brother called, and I barely got to say hi to him before he had to go."

They both gave the "I'm sorry" look before we climbed into the shiny black car parked in front of us.

The ride was uneventful. The other two were acting like they were walking on eggshells. Not a single word was uttered until we hit Annapolis city limits.

"Ladies, should we go to the bay or the Academy first?" Alice inquired

I wanted to get this Academy shit out of the way first.

"Alice, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to go to the Academy first." I figured if I got the worst part of my day over with, I had the chance to enjoy the rest.

"It's not a problem, but you seemed so upset over this idea yesterday. What changed?" Alice looked back at me in the rearview mirror as she spoke.

"Alice, I still don't want to go. It brings back memories," I answered sharply..,

"I see. Will it help if you talk about it? I mean the best way to work through something is by telling someone else," she answered me

Rosalie had turned around in the front seat to look at me.

"Believe me, I've tried talking through it. But if I ever feel like trying again, I'll let you know."

She nodded and headed towards King George Street. Once we arrived, she found a spot to park in, and we exited the car.

At first, I had no problem being there. It seemed kind of fun walking around taking pictures. We chatted amongst ourselves, ranking how hot the male midshipmen were. I was fine until we reached the chapel.

It was at that point that I turned and ran.

And I ran right into a midshipman who was off our ratings scale.


	3. There you'll be

AN: I'm a horrbile updater. RL is way too busy. We meet a couple boys in this chapter. Per Usual, I don't own it, I just

change it.

Vocab Lesson

West Point- Army Acadmey

Acadmey- what the boys refer to USNA as

Plebe: Freshman at USNA/USMA/USAFA

3/C - sophmore class rank ( third class)

Chapter 2- There you'll be

"In my dreams

I'll always see you soar

Above the sky

In my heart

There always be a place

For you for all my life

I'll keep a part

Of you with me

And everywhere I am

There you'll be

And everywhere I am

There you'll be"

Faith Hill- "There you'll be"

Bella

Seeing the chapel was the final straw. Nate always said he was going to get married there, when the time came of course. The fact that it was never going to happen was overwhelming. I couldn't stand to be there without him.

I had to turn and run.

"Bella!" Alice and Rosalie shouted. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing them chasing after me. Hoping they would figure out that I didn't want to be there anymore, I turned my head and began to run faster.

Of course, I wasn't paying attention and I ran into someone, knocking us both to the ground. Nate and Ryan sarcastically called me "grace" when I did shit like this. I smiled at the happy memories of my brothers. It was of the times before the Army and Navy - a time when they were just Ryan and Nathan Swan, the troublemaking brothers of Forks, Washington.

"Fuck," whispered a voice, pulling me out of my memories.

.I looked up to see a male midshipman. Actually, he was the hottest midshipman I'd seen that day. Being a military sister, I had seen my fair share of men in uniform. However, none of the ones I had seen had looked liked him. He was in an officer's version of the Navy's winter blues.

Those were my favorites on Nate.

I continued to gawk at him. He had to stand at least six--three. By the fit of his uniform, I could see muscular legs and broad shoulders, a swimmer's build. The force of my impact and subsequent fall had knocked his cap and glasses off, giving me an unobstructed view of his eyes. They were the deepest shade of green I had ever seen. And his hair, well, it looked like a cross between a shade of auburn and chocolate brown. It was definitely different. I watched him place his glasses on his face and the cap back on his head before he stood. He looked down at me.

Blushing, I closed my eyes and ducked my head in embarrassment. I had been caught.

"Let me help you up." I looked up to see the midshipman standing over me. He quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me from the ground.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry about running into you. I just …" I could not justify my reasoning with seeming like an over emotional girl. Moreover, I did not want to tell anyone my story.

I glanced down trying to avoid eye contact, to discover that I had landed in mud. I groaned to myself. Quickly, I removed my now mud –covered sweatshirt, only to hear a loud snort from the midshipman standing beside me.

"You might want to put your sweatshirt back on. That won't go over too well here." He was making a sour face at Ryan's shirt.

"At least I didn't wear my Beat Navy shirt," I quipped back. Before he could ask why I had that particular shirt, I continued, "My brother, Ryan, ,,played baseball for West Point, so I had to root against you guys."

"I see," was his only reply.

It was getting sufficiently awkward, so I started to make my way back toward the car when Alice and Rosalie finally got to us. They looked over at the midshipman, then at me, , ,and then back to each other before one of them spoke.

Alice decided to speak first. "Thanks for helping Bella, umm…"

"It was my pleasure. And the name's-" He didn't get to finish his sentence due to an interruption.

"Masen, get your ass to the field house now! Coach N is pissed." A massive midshipman was the source. The latest midshipman looked oddly familiar. He reminded me of Nate's CO's son. Of course, it had been a few years since I'd last seen him. It didn't hurt to check and make sure it was not him.

"Emmett McCarty, is that you?"

Midshipman 3/C Masen (Edward)

Attending the United States Naval Academy was a dream of mine since my first trip to navy pier. Well, maybe not my first trip, but the first one that ever had meaning to it.

It was just after my fifteenth birthday, I was with my Grandpa Masen. Grandpa was a graduated of the Academy during the Second World War and the place held special meaning for him. I had heard all of his stories growing up, but never really paid any attention to them. As I sat with him, taking in the new sailors, I knew what was going to do with my life.

It was that decision that lead my parents to disown me, two years later. Nevertheless, if it weren't for my stubbornness on that subject, I wouldn't have run into Bella.

I was running late for football and decided to take the shortest way to the field house. No one used this path on Saturdays, and it was noon. The game started at 3:30, so the rest of the academy would be in the dorms preparing for the walk –in. I knew it would be safe to run. I put my head down and picked up my pace to a full –on sprint.

However, someone else had the same idea. I didn't realize it until we collided. The force of the impact knocked me to the ground and my cap and glasses off.

"Fuck," I whispered to myself. This was the last thing I needed today. I adjusted my uniform before putting my cap and glasses back on, before standing up.

I looked down at the person who I ran into, expecting it to be a plebe. It was a giant shock to me to see an unfamiliar woman sitting there. As soon as I looked at her, she quickly looked down and blushed. _Such a cute blush._

I closed the gap between us in a single stride.

" Let me help you up. " I tried to sound sincere but it came out like an order. I reached for her hand and pulled her off the ground. As I helped from ground, I got my first real look at her. She couldn't have been more than 5'4 and had a petite frame. The paleness of her skin was a sharp contrast to her dark hair and eyes. The color of her eyes reminded me of milk chocolate. Everything about her intrigued me.

Finally she spoke.

Thanks, and I'm sorry about running into you. I just …" She seemed at a loss for words. She looked at the ground again and groaned. She took off her sweatshirt. I snorted when I saw what she was wearing underneath. I had to warn her.

You might want to put your sweatshirt back on. That won't go over too well here." I wouldn't have wanted to see my face. It had to have a sour expression.

"At least I didn't wear my Beat Navy shirt," she snapped back at me. I was curious on why she would have that particular shirt. However, I didn't have to ask for an explanation.

"My brother, Ryan, , played baseball for West Point, so I had to root against you guys." She finished.

_Ahh, her big brother's army. Wonder how he'd feel about her dating a navy man._

" I see," was the only response I could come up with.

We stood there for _a _few minutes, neither one of us saying anything. To say it was awakard would have been an understatement. She started to walk away when two other women rushed to her side.

They looked at me and then back at her. They shared a look with each other before the shorter one decided to speak.

Thanks for helping Bella, umm…" She stuttered. I forgot to introduce myself.

"""It was my pleasure. And the name's-" I was interrupted by the one and only Midshipman 3/C Emmett McCarthy.

"Masen, get your ass to the field house now! Coach N is pissed." He ordered. I groaned internally. I didn't want this moment to end.

Bella looked over at Mac, like she knew him.

And the words thatcame out of her mouth next were like a shot to my heart.

"Emmett McCarty, is that you?" Bella asked.

McCarty's eyes widened in recognition.

"Bella Swan? Is that really you? God, ,,, it's been at least four years." He practically yelled.

"Yeah, Em, , ,it really is me. And it's been closer to three. Your dad only retired in '04," Bella replied as she made her way over to him. He picked her up and smashed her against his body.

"Bella, how do you know McCarty?" I just had to ask. She bit her lip trying to avoid answering.

"My dad was stationed at NAS Whidbey the last few years, Masen. Bella's hometown was pretty close to one of the ferry docks," McCarty answered for her.

If I remembered right, that particular station was in Washington State. She was pretty far away from her family.

"Masen, we'd better get to the field house. Hey Bells, you in for a football game? I got three tickets that are going to waste." He looked over at the three girls with pleading eyes.

"Of course we're up for a game," the blonde answered. McCarty just smiled.

"Cool, they're under my last name. And B, I expect you to wait for me afterwards. We need to catch up." She gave him a quick nod, before she turned around and joined the other girls.

I silently hoped that he would let me go with him.

McCarty motioned for me to come with him. I gave one last glance back at Bella, before headed back towards the field house with him. We were about halfway there when he finally decided to talk.

"Masen, what the hell happened between you and Bella?" He got straight to the point. That was a good thing about McCarty; he was blunt and wouldn't take any shit. Both were qualities that were going to make him a great office.

"Mac, I don't know really. I was running behind this morning, so I took the short way to stadium. I wasn't exactly watching where I was going, ya know. Nobody excpet us football boys are over there on Saturdays. Anyway, next thing I know I'm on the ground and Bella's just staring at me."

"Typical Bella. And Masen, I saw the way you were looking at her…"

Damn, it would be just my luck that he would notice. Bella was different from the girls I had seen every day since I started at The Academy. She was more feminine and soft, lacking the edge which I had become so accustomed.

" I'm not going to tell you to stay away from her , that's the chief and Ryan's job. But Masen, if I remember right, Bella swore she'd never date a navy man."

"Care to explain why?" I needed to know why she'd make such a vow, if I wanted any chance with her.

" It's not my place to tell Masen. She knows how military life works, it may not be for her. But, I think Ryan brainwashed her. He went to West Point." He shrugged as he spoke. It seemed like he knew more than what he let on. But if Mac didn't want to tell, it was useless to try.

"Well, Fuck Me," I mumbled.

Mac smiled at me as soon the words came out of my mouth.


	4. Anchors Aweigh

AN: Long time , No writing. I completly forgot about it to be honset.

But now, I'm back from outer space...

Disclaimer: Don't own it ... never will

On with the show.

* * *

Anchors Aweigh my boys

Anchors Aweigh

Farewell to college joys

We sail at break of 'ay 'ay 'ay 'ay

O'er our last night ashore

Drink to the foam

Until we meet once more

Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

USNA Fight Song

**Midshipman 3/C McCarty (Emmett)**

Bella Swan.

That girl was the last person I'd ever thought I'd see at Navy. The last time I'd seen her she was shaking when I told her that I was planning to come here; she was sixteen at the time

I guess it was because of the way we first met. I was thirteen and living in Norfolk, Virginia, when the attack on the U.S.S Cole happened.

My father was in charge of that ship.

At first, I was worried about my dad, but after hearing from him, I thought of the families of the sailors who passed. I wondered what I was going to encounter at the seventeen funerals that I knew I was going to be attending.

It was deep shit for a thirteen- year- old.

Every funeral felt the same to me. I didn't know the men and women who passed, yet I was expected to be sad. I was only there out of obligation to my father. However, something changed during the tenth funeral, the one for Seaman Nathan Swan.

_It was raining in the small Washington town that my father dragged me to for another funeral. I didn't understand why he wanted me here when my mother was sitting at home alone. To me, it made more sense for me to be there. _

_But I didn't ask why- I knew better than to question him. When I did get the guts to question him, I was always given the same reply._

"_Emmett, you'll understand why I make you do these things when you're older."_

_Therefore, I sucked it up and attended the funeral. I expected it to be the same as the earlier funerals. But it wasn't. _

_During the service, I noticed a little brunette sitting with the sailor's family. She wasn't crying, she was just sitting there looking confused. It was shocking to m. I was expecting tears from everyone else except my father and myself, but she wasn't crying._

_I first met Bella Swan that day, when she pulled me aside as my father offered his condolences and thanking the family for their son's service._

"_Why did your dad come home, when my brother didn't?" She looked up at me. I didn't know the answer, so I said the first thing that came to my mind._

"_I don't know."_

My father later introduced me to the family ,, and somehow Bella and I became friends, exchanging letters when I went back to Norfolk. When dad was transferred to NAS Whidbey, we were able to see each other in person, but that was cut short by my father's retirement. He was never quite the same after the attack. I believed he blamed himself for that attack.

I was seventeen when we left Washington. I had my life planned out already: attend the academy, become an officer in the Marines, hopefully, and serve at least twenty years.

At the time, Bella was my best friend. But when she brought up college and how she hoped that we'd be at the same school, I broke her again

"_B, Unless you're planning on going to Navy, I doubt you'll be at the same school as me," I said bluntly. _

_She just looked at me, shaking, like she did every time anyone said anything about Nathan or the Navy. I couldn't stand it. It was heartbreaking. I got up and left, thinking I would never see Bella Swan again._

So to see Bella at the yard was a shock. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy. But to see her with Masen, It fucking pissed me off.

I quickly collected Masen and invited Bella and her friends to the game.

Therefore, I told Bella to meet up with me after the game. It was going to be the only time I escaped the yard this weekend. It gave us the chance to catch up, and it would give me the chance to chat up her very sexy blond friend. It was an entirely selfish reason. But damn, that girl had legs for days and curves that could kill. She seemed to have that "Don't mess with me" attitude that I could not resist. In addition, she looked like she wanted to beat the hell out of Masen, so that made her more captivating.

And I would put my money on her, if the two ever fought. She had that persona that she could kick anyone's ass, mine included.

Don't get me wrong-Masen was a hell of a wide receiver. The rumor around the academy was he had offers to play for Florida, Michigan, Texas, Southern Cal, and Ohio State, ,and the motherfucker turned them all down to come here. But as a person, he was a little standoffish and quick tempered. And when something set him off, it was almost impossible to get him to cool off quick. I'd had to hold him back a few times when someone late-hit him or, God forbid, committed pass interference against him. He just made the fuckers pay the next time they went up against him. Aside from those flaws, he was a great person and one of the few close friends I had here.

And I was one of the few people on the team that hadn't pissed him off this year, so Coach N always sent me to deal with him.

_Though Coach N might have to send Ross for a few days. Masen looks pissed at me. Might as well make it worse. _

"Masen, what the hell happened between you and Bella?" I asked, getting right to the point. By this point, we were halfway to the field house. If he was pissed at me, I quite possibly could have beaten him there and thus saved myself from his temper. It was a risk that I was willing to take. Coach N put the fear of God into that boy one day at practice, after he went off on Dobbs last year. He rarely showed his temper around him.

Surprisingly, he actually talked to me and told me what happened. It sounded just like Bells.

"Typical Bella. And Masen, I saw the way you were looking at her…" I waited for a reply or a sign that I needed to start running but none came. It was like he was caught up in a thought. I took that as a sign to break more bad news.

"I'm not going to tell you to stay away from her- that's the chief and Ryan's job. But Masen, if I remember right, Bella swore she'd never date a navy man."

"Care to explain why?" At least he responded this time. Of course, I knew why Bella wouldn't date a Navy man; she didn't want to be reminded of Nate at every turn. However, I couldn't tell him that. It was her story to tell.

"It's not my place to tell, Masen. She knows how military life works. Ii may not be for her. But I think Ryan brainwashed her. He went to West Point." It was a stroke of genius. Bella's older brother was Army and it was common knowledge that we had a rivalry of epic proportions.

I really hoped that he wouldn't catch on to the bullshit I'd just spewed.

"Well, fuck me," he mumbled so low, that I don't think I was supposed to hear it.

I just smiled.

"Come on, Masen. Let's go kick some demon deacon ass!" I all but yelled as we walked into the field house, joining the rest of our teammates.

"By the way, Masen, you can come out with me and those three lovely ladies tonight."

He smirked.

"You think we should text Whit and see if he'd like to go to?" he asked.

"Why the hell not? Just tell him to meet us by the field house after the game. "

**Rosalie**

Bella Swan was hiding something. No one just runs away from a building without having an explanation to why he or she is running.

Something had to give. She did not want to come to the Academy, ,and then she ran away from the chapel. It seemed like little Miss Bella was hiding a secret that involved this place.

As Alice and I chased after her, I remembered Bella's sad look as she walked towards the car this morning. She said she barely said hello to him before he had to go.

It sound like the calls that happen on shows relating to the military.

The answer just came to me with that last thought. Bella's brother was some sort of troop, and she didn't want to deal with anything military-_-related.

Telling Alice about my epiphany of sorts would have her siding with Bella. Even though I didn't know her that well, she just seemed to have that type of personality.

When we finally caught up to Bella, she was talking to a male Midshipman. He was shaking his head and his lips were pursed

I looked at Bella to see what was causing him to do that. She was wearing an Army shirt. Bella's brother was in the Army.

I looked at him, giving him a quick once over. He was hot, I'd give him that,, but he wasn't really my type. I looked over at Bella and she seemed more embarrassed than anything did. I had an inkling than this mid was more of her type.

Finally, I looked over at the pixie standing next to me. We shared a look of understanding, and then Alice quickly thanked the Midshipman, but stuttered at the end. She had no idea what his name was.

As he was about to give us his name, he was interrupted by what had to be the loudest person on the face of this earth. Somehow, Bella knew this hulk of a man.

"Emmett McCarty, is that you?" she asked. Seeing the look on her face, they had to have been close or something.

"Bella Swan? Is that really you? God, it's been at least four years," the giant said.

Emmett McCarty wasn't a bad looking boy. As I watched him talk to Bella and Masen, which happened to be the other midshipman's name, I could see the dimples on his cheeks and his grey eyes dancing. His uniform looked slightly disheveled, as if he had it off then quickly threw it back on. It suited him well, playing off his brownish-tblack hair. I couldn't make out his body underneath it. Therefore, I had nothing else to judge him on.

Emmett asked Bella if she was up to a football game. She hesitated while he looked at the three of us with pleading eyes.

"Of course we're up for a game," I answered hoping not to offend Alice or Bella. Emmett just smiled.

He quickly told Bella that the tickets under his last name and he expected her to meet up with him after the game. I hoped he knew that all three of us would be there. Bella just nodded and turned to face Alice and me as the two midshipmen walked away.

"Well, Fuck. I'm going to need to buy a new shirt when we get to the stadium. I can't be at a Navy football game with an Army shirt on." Bella huffed. She was slightly frustrated at this point.

"Bella, did you and Emmett date or something? Cause if that's the reason you didn't want to come here then I totally understand," Alice said. I could see it in her face. The girl wanted answers and she wanted five minutes ago.

"McCarty and I a couple? Hell no! Em was just my best friend in high school." She answered Alice quickly and sharply.

"Oh okay. Why do you have an Army shirt on?" Alice wanted more answers.

"You remember this morning when I told you about my brother calling? Well, my brother is Captain Ryan Swan of the United States Army. I stole this shirt last time he was home. I guess I was just missing him this morning. He's in Afghanistan," she answered quietly. The subject of her brother was hard. Anyone could see that it upset her a great deal. She turned her back to us to wipe away her tears

Nevertheless, she also just confirmed my suspicions. She did not want to be reminded of her brother. I used this chance to tell Alice something.

"Alice, don't bring up her brother. I have a feeling that's why she didn't want to come here," I hissed into her ear.

Just as I was standing up, Bella turned around, red-eyed.

"Let's head over to Navy-Marine," Bella said trying to divert attention from her eyes, "I need to buy a new shirt. You guys think they have a jersey with Em's number." She turned around and started walking the same way the boys went.

If I had known about her brother before, I wouldn't have pushed her to come here. It wasn't right to have her reminded of him, even if it wasn't the same branch.

The walk to the stadium was a quiet one. Bella quickly went up to will call and picked up the tickets. She seemed to be in a better mood now. It must have been the atmosphere surrounding the stadium.

Being an only child of an avid college football fan, I was dragged to my fair share of football games. It was something that I enjoyed. There was nothing like a Saturday afternoon with thousands of other people cheering the home team to victory. This was the one time that I embraced my inner boy.

"You guys ready to cheer on my best friend?" Bella asked as she handed out our tickets.

Alice nodded and I just smiled.

We quickly made our way over to the souvenir stand so Bella could replace her shirt. She had told us the story of running into Masen and how her sweatshirt was now covered in mud. I held in a laugh as she spoke. It just seemed so random. And by the looks she was getting, everyone here shared the same opinion of the army-it sucked.

"Do you have any jerseys with Emmett McCarty's number on them?" she asked the person at the counter. She was bright red as she asked. Bella was one to get embarrassed easily...

"No, I'm afraid I don't know his number so I couldn't tell you that, ,darling. However, 19 is a popular number. I don't who it is, but we sure sell a lot of them," the woman at the counter answered.

"I guess I'll take that one and a program," Bella replied.

The woman gave her the total. Bella quickly paid and took the items from the woman.

"I'm just going to go change real quick," Bella, told Alice and me, while she looked in the direction of the bathroom.

"Okay, let me hold your book bag and other stuff. You don't want to set that on the floor, "Alice answered.

Bella handed her stuff to Alice. I quickly grabbed the program to find the Navy roster.

"Alice, you'll never guess who wears number nineteen." I was in hysterics as I talked.

"Who?"

"Edward Masen, also known as the midshipman Bella ran into today. We're not going to tell her." I had a feeling that he was going to be coming along with Emmett after the game. I just had to keep the program away from Bella. I wanted it to be a surprise.

Bella came out of the bathroom a few seconds later. I quickly stuffed the program into her bag. We made our way to the seats that were given to us. I was pleasantly surprised at Thow good they were ten rows up from the field on the 45-yard line. Alice and Bella pulled out their cameras and used this opportunity to get more pictures for our project. They snapped pictures of the procession, the Navy team running out onto the field and just about everything else related to the game. I just sat back and enjoyed the game. I hadn't been to a football game since my parents' divorce three years ago. It was a long time overdue.

The game went all too quickly. Navy lost to Wake Forest by twenty points. However, after the game was when the real fun started.

I could not wait to see Bella's Face.

**Bella**

I was never into football. I put up with it for my brothers, Emmett, and my Dad. It gave me something to talk about with them. If it was not football, it was baseball, a sport that I detested.

However, using these tickets gave us an opportunity for some very interesting pictures for our project. I was so engrossed in my picture taking that I didn't realize the game was over. I never found out who wore number nineteen either. All I knew was that it wasn't Emmett and that the person who wore the number was fast.

I saw Alice and Rosalie stand up and start heading towards the stairs. I tried to stand up and join them. But I tripped on my bag, causing a back up behind me. I blushed, causing myself to turn into a human tomato. It was times like this my brothers would've been doubled over in laughter. Mom would've been yelling at them and Dad would've been shaking his head. I don't think I was spared any embarrassment when I was younger. You'd have thought having brothers that were eight and ten years older than I was, I would've, but no. .I had the brothers that thrived on embarrassing me. Looking back, it was just part of who they were. It was no sign of the men that they would become.

After picking myself up, I rejoined the girls as they left the stadium and headed towards the Midshipmen's locker room. A single blond midshipman waited outside the locker room. He looked down at his phone and then towards us.

He started walking towards us and I started to flip out. I didn't know him, ,and I didn't think that Alice or Rosalie did either.

He approached me first.

"Excuse me miss, are you Bella Swan? Emmett McCarty told me that you and your friends would be waiting out here for him," he spoke with a slight southern drawl.

"I'm Bella and this is I Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale. And let me guess, Emmett told you to stand guard over us."

"Yes, ma'am, he did. By the way I'm Midshipman third class Jasper Whitlock; it's a pleasure to meet y'all."

I could have castrated Emmett. He had the over-protectiveness about him that drove me insane during high school. It scared off many potential boyfriends.

"It's a pleasure to meet you to Jasper. I've been wondering where you've been all my life," Alice told him.

Frankly, her statement was somewhat freaky; I would've run if I were he. But no, he just responded to her.

"I'm sorry for making you wait, , little darling."

It made me a little sick to my stomach. I looked over to Rosalie to see if she felt the same way. The look on her face confirmed it for me. She had the same "what the fuck" look I had to be sporting.

I just shrugged and went back to people watching.

"That's defiantly better than your Army t-shirt. I didn't know you knew who I was." A deep and oddly familiar voice whispered into my ear.

I turned around to see who it was. It was the midshipman I ran into eariler . He was number 19 on the football team.

* * *

I did it.. I couldn't stop myself... your favorite southern mid is up next.. along with Alice... I thrive on reviews ... K thanks .. bye


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